Lixiviator.



J. M. WITMER.

LIXIVIATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 1916.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917..

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. M. WITMER.

LIXIVIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED -MAY 5.191s.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I. M. WITMER.

LIXIVIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, I916.

1,238,469., Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

J. M. WITMEH.

LIXIVIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5. 191a.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

1. M. WITMEIRL LIYXIVIATOR. APPLICATION men MAYfi. 191s.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

lA/VENTOR Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

Y JOHN M. WITIVIER, or LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

IIIXIVIATOR- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 28, 191?.

Application filed May 5, 1916. Serial No. 95,731.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. W1TMnR,a citizen of the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lixiviators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to an apparatus for recovering gold and silver by the cyanid method from ore, and the device not only combines the features of a lixiviator, but pulverizes or regrinds the ore while it is being treated by the cyanid solution 'under ideal conditions.

While I am fully aware that there have been several machines devised for this purpose, none of them have been of practical commercial value, the greatest trouble being that they become clogged with the wet ore, which, when pulverized to the fine mesh required, becomes pasty and settles like cement.

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus or machine for this purpose, that shall be self-cleaning and which will not become clogged, even should it be stopped.

Another object being to provide means whereby the ore during its passage through the machine, becomes constantly reground or pulverized, while at the same time being constantly exposed to the action of the cyanid under the" most favorable conditions.

Another object being to so construct a machine of this kind that every grain of finely pulverized ore shall be treated alike,

and the ore and solution shall at all times invention consists in certain construction and combination of parts as will hereinafter be fully described and. claimed in the specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application, and in which like figures of reference refer to corresponding parts in all of the views; but it is fully understood Fig. 3, is a top plan view of the first trough.

Fig. a, is a detail cross sectional view of the rocking cradle. i a

Fig. 5, is a detail sectional view of the air valve.

Fig. 6, is a partial sectional view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7, is atop plan view of one of the troughs.

Fig. 8, is a bottom plan view of the same.

Fig. 9, is a cross sectional view of Fig. 7 taken on the line X-X.

Fig. 10, is a cross sectional view of Fig. 7 taken on the line Y-Y.

Fig. 11, is an end view of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises a series of troughs mounted on a supporting frame 1, which is inclined at a suitable angle, the number of troughs required to comprise a simple machine depending entirely on the class of ore which is to be treated, as some ores are refractory and require a longer treatment than do others.

As the troughs, with the exception of the first or pulverizing trough, are all constructed alike, and are arranged in series, each discharging into the neXt or lower one, it will be sufficient to explain in detail, the construction of the trough shown in Figs. 2, 7, 8, 9,10, and 11, which is constructed as follows a The upper end is formed with a receiving basin 2, having an inclined portion 3, leading to the main bottom l, of the trough, which is formed with a drop 7, dividing it into the parts 4, and 5, the part 5, being provided with the discharging lip 6, for conveying the material into the basin 2, of the adjacent trough.

The receiving basin 2, is provided with a grooved bottom 8, which may be detachable and thusremovable, or be integral with said basin. The bottom of the trough, or parts 4, and 5, are each provided with a false bottom or plates, 9, and 10, which are preferably a hard material, and readily removable, after becoming worn.

Under the bottom 4, is provided a heating chamber 11, which may be supplied with it is desired that the steam pass without heating the plate.

A heating dome or deflector 18, 1s also provided on the bottom of the part 5, w h1 ch may be heated by a gas flame or electricity if desired.

In the basin 2, is mounted on the trunnions 19, in the bearings 20, a rocking cradle 21, formed with three ribs or leaves 22, each having teeth 23, adapted to enter the grooves 24, in the plate or curved bottom Said cradle 21, having ends 25, and a dividing wall 26, midway its ends, and operated by a combined lever and air valve 27, attached thereto, and pivoted at 28,.toan arm 29, secured to the combined operating rod and air tube 30, which is reciprocated by a rod 31, driven by a crank 32, mounted on a shaft 33, which is rotated by a pulley 34, driven by the belt 35.

Referring to the detail construction of the arms 27, and 29, shown in Figs. 4, and 5, the arm 27, is provided with two air ducts 36, the lower ends of which communicate with the part of the chamber formed n the cradle 21; while the upper ends of sald air ducts 36, communicate with the inner surface of the joint 37; the arm 29, be1ng provided with an air duct 38, the upper end of which communicates with the air supply pipe 30, and the lower end of which communicates with the inner surface of the joint 37.

' It will thus be seen that when the arms 27, and 29, assume a straight line position, the opening 39, of the duct 33, will be between the openings 40, and 41, of the ducts 36, and no air can pass through said ducts, but as the cradle 21, is rocked, the opening 39, will register for a brief time with, first, the opening 40, and then with the opening 41, thus admitting compressed air, first to one chamber of the cradle, and then to the other chamber, the air always being admitted to the chamber which is down, and closed by its walls 21, and 22, being submerged in the ore and solution.

The parts 4, and 5, of the trough are each supplied with a friction plate 42, which is reciprocated upon thebottomplates 9, and 10, for rubbing, securing and pulverizing the ore. Said plates 42, are connected together by the rods 43, which are pivoted together at 45, and are operated by the rod 46, "which is pivoted to the arm 29; or if desired, the rods 43, may be secured to a rod 47, which is reciprocated at a higher speed than the pipe 30, by a rod 48, op

erated by a crank 49, secured on a shaft 50, and driven by a pulley-51, and belt 52; and if this is used, the rod 46, is removed. The rod 47, is provided with a suitable weight 53, for supplying pressure'to the friction plates 42. The first, or pulverizing trough blocks 65, having plates 66, secured to their lower surfaces to form a rubbingcontact wlth the surface of the trough 54. Said plates 66,'be1ng reversible, and-formed with surfaces as shown inFig. 3, the first being very coarse, and the last nearly smooth, and all being provided with countersunk holes 67, to retain air and solution.

There is also attached to the rod 59, a member 63,having a corrugated bottom and adapted to rock in the, corrugations 58,.for the purpose of first grindingthe ore and solution before it passes under the plates 65. Referring to Fig. 7 it will be seen that each trough may be divided longitudinally by the low walls, which are only as high as the thickness of, the plates 42, into three compartments, within each" of which is mounted a series of plates42, and, cradles 21, set in different positions, so thatthe orean'd solution cannot run to anypart of Y the trough and become settled, but will be constantly moved all over the trough.-

In the operation of the device :.-,;-v I

The ore having'been ground to, say eighty or one hundred .mesh,iismixedw.ith the proper cyanid solutionv in the mixer, and conveyer 56, and enters the pulverizing trough 54, where it is finely pulverized by the blocks 65, while being exposed" to free air and air confined in the holes 67. From here it enters the basinof the first trough, and is further pulverized, agitated, and treated by the compressed air, while freeair is admitted at each end of the cradle, and

from here it is thrown out. on the part3,

and exposed to the, atmosphere, and deor not, as desired; here it is further rubbed and pulverized under partly confined and free air conditions, when it descends to the a filter and the usual zinc receiving boxes,

andkthe solution is returned to the supply tan Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a lixiviator of the class described, in combination with a series of inclined troughs or pans, each mounted upon a lower level than the preceding one, and each formed with a receiving basin and a delivering lip, of a grinding and mixing cradle mounted in said basin and adapted to be oscillated therein, the bottom of said pans provided with means for heating the same, a combined scouring, rubbing and pulverizing means mounted in said pans, and means for supplying compressed air to said cradle in an intermittent manner.

2. In a lixiviator of the class described, in combination with a series of troughs or pans mounted in an inclined manner, each upon a lower level than the preceding one, and each provided with a receiving basin and a discharging lip, said receiving basin formed with a curved corrugated bottom, a cradle mounted in said basin, teeth formed on the edges of said cradle adapted to fit the corrugations in the bottom of the basin, means for oscillating said cradle within said basin, and means for applying compressed air within said cradle in an intermittent manner.

3. In a lixiviator of the class described, in combination with a series of troughs or pans mounted each upon a lower level than the preceding one, and each provided with a receiving basin and delivering lip, the bottom of said pan being divided into two surfaces on difierent levels, and both on a lower level than the delivery edge of the basin, plates secured upon said surfaces, rubbing plates formed with grooved surfaces and orifices therethrough, mounted upon said plates, and means for reciprocating them thereon.

4. In a lixiviator of the class described, in combination with a series of troughs or pans, each upon a lower level than the preceding one, and each provided with a receiving basin and delivering lip, the surface of said pan provided with grinding and pulverizing means, and the lower surfaces of said pans provided with means for heating the same.

5. In a lixiviator machine of the class described, a series of pans mounted in an inclined manner, each delivering into the succeeding one, a rubbing or pulverizing trough mounted before the first pan and delivering therein, pulverizing and mixing means mounted in said pulverizing trough, means for delivering ore and solution into said pulverizing trough, means for agitating, aerating and mixing the ore and solution in the pans, means for heating the ore and solution in said pans, means for regrinding and scouring the ore and solution in said pans.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. WITMER.

Witnesses:

J OHN J. Tnomson, I. 0. Aurora).

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

